Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Since having children, my husband and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day in the "traditional" way. You know, getting all dressed up and going out to an overpriced dinner. Our Valentine's Day is usually low-key and this year was no different.

Doc sang at church this weekend, so things were a little fragmented with him being gone so much. We decided to pick up dinner Saturday night from a great local restaurant that did a V-day special. They offered 2 filet mignons, a lobster tail, twice baked potatoes, and green beans--followed by the best chocolate truffles EVER. YUM!

Yesterday, I helped with the girls' Valentine's Day parties at school. I made these heart shaped sandwiches and heart smokies.

But here's my favorite part of Valentine's Day-

Hubby came home from work with this......

He didn't buy this for the girls to just play with, but for him to do mani/pedis on them.

If you knew what a "manly man" he is, this would melt your heart as much as it did mine. This was all his idea, and I have to chuckle when I think of him scoping out the nail polish aisle.

He told me to go take a hot bath (rare once you have kiddos), and he spent the next hour and a half painting their fingers and toenails. He did designs and added stickers and glitter.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

**Disclaimer: This is not a "healthy, frolic in the low-fat meadows" recipe. In fact, it's an indulgent, "I want to impress somebody" recipe. There's very few ingredients in this, but there's oh, so much flavor.

I serve it as pictured for guests, but for us, I just mix the pasta and sauce into one pot. It's not pretty, but the pasta takes on the cream flavor and I think it's better all mixed together.

You could make this without the chicken for a vegetarian version. It's just as good!

I don't have a titillating blog post in the works, so I'll share a few nuggets of "This and That".

I survived the Great Blizzard of 2011. We had an estimated snowfall of 20". Insane, right? The kiddos were out of school for 4 days, so it was a challenge keeping them occupied from Tuesday until Saturday. Have I mentioned that I'm ready for spring?

I did A LOT of cooking last week. I made a sweet Russian friend's rice, celery, green onion, radish salad. It is so yummy. She was the one that won 1st place at our Christmas get-together. The flavor is so refreshing. It reminds me a little of a light pasta salad.

I will be training at the beginning of March to be a "Yoga To Grow" certifiedteacher. It's an intense week long (35 hour class) and when finished, I'll be able to teach yoga to children. I am SO excited. This is such a great opportunity for me to share my love of yoga with little ones.

I am loving Archer Farms "Black Pepper and Sea Salt" chips from Target . I may or may not have eaten a couple of bags this month.

Hubby and I finally got to go out on a date night last Saturday. Boy, did we need it after being cooped up all week! It's amazing what having an uninterrupted dinner and conversation can do for your marriage. A big ol' steak doesn't hurt either.

I made a visit to Marshall's and bought these colorful scarves. I'm really tired of all the black, gray, and brown I've been wearing. What better way to inexpensively add some color to an outfit!

I've been eating horribly for the past few weeks, so after a friend's recommendation, I ordered the Arbonne brand "Detox Spa 7 Day Body Cleanse". I just started today, so I'll let you know how it goes. I've done another supplement cleanse, and let's just say...I was wrecked. This one is supposed to be less intense. This kit includes 7 small bottles that you add to water & drink throughout the day. The ingredients include a "Full Body Cleansing Blend" and a "Superfood Antioxidant Blend". I bought mine unused and sealed (of course) on eBay from an Arbonne dealer. So we'll see how it goes.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm. Have a great week! XOXO

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Yesterday, I asked my Twitter friends if they had a good pimento cheese recipe. I got great responses, especially for Samma's pimento cheese. You have to go check out this recipe. It's next on my list. I'm snowed in, and didn't have any jalapeños.

So after sifting through many recipes, I decided to make Bobby Deen's (you know....Paula's son ) Pimento Cheese recipe. Like ALL recipes, I made some changes. Here's my version.

Pimento Cheese

Ingedients:

(1) 8 oz block of Sharp cheddar cheese *NOT pre-shredded

(1) 8 oz block of Monterey Jack cheese *NOT pre-shredded

3 oz of cream cheese (room temp)

About 1/3 cup mayo or more if desired

2-3 teaspoons of jarred pimentos, (drained & smashed with a fork)

1 teaspoon freshly grated onion

1/8-1/4 teaspoon of salt (more or less according to taste)

1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

With a hand grater, grate both cheeses into a medium sized bowl.

Add cream cheese and mayo. Lightly blend.

Add pimentos and onion.

Add salt, garlic powder, and desired amount of fresh cracked pepper.

Thoroughly blend.

Chill for a few hours. It has a firmer consistency.

Serve as a sandwich or on crackers or vegetables. The possibilities are ENDLESS!

*I am the queen of "sneaking" fruits and vegetables into my family's food. Guess what I did yesterday? I shredded some carrot & put into the pimento cheese. You should try it. It adds a nice sweetness & crunch. Shhhhh. Don't tell them.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Maybe it's the 80's rocker chick in me (yeah, you read that right), but I've always LOVED leather clothes. Not just jackets or shoes. I like tops, dresses, pants, and if you recall in this post....I like leather shorts.

Remember the episode of "Friends" when Ross wore leather pants? The bathroom scene with all the baby powder is classic!

I think this leather episode from "3rd Rock" is even funnier. Check it out.

I absolutely love ALL these leather pieces. Some are not so affordable, but we can dream right?

About Me

I'm a Southern girl transplanted to the Midwest. As I try to adapt, I make no apologies for my accent and good manners. I love to "dish" on whatever comes to mind, whether it be my family, decorating, fashion, food, or just life in general. I'm married and have 2 wonderful daughters.